title: Capturing with EEG the neural entrainment and coupling underlying sensorimotor synchronization to the beat.
abstract: Synchronizing movements with rhythmic inputs requires tight coupling of sensory and motor neural processes. Here, using a novel approach based on the recording of steady-state-evoked potentials (SS-EPs), we examine how distant brain areas supporting these processes coordinate their dynamics. The electroencephalogram was recorded while subjects listened to a 2.4-Hz auditory beat and tapped their hand on every second beat. When subjects tapped to the beat, the EEG was characterized by a 2.4-Hz SS-EP compatible with beat-related entrainment and a 1.2-Hz SS-EP compatible with movement-related entrainment, based on the results of source analysis. Most importantly, when compared with passive listening of the beat, we found evidence suggesting an interaction between sensory- and motor-related activities when subjects tapped to the beat, in the form of (1) additional SS-EP appearing at 3.6 Hz, compatible with a nonlinear product of sensorimotor integration; (2) phase coupling of beat- and movement-related activities; and (3) selective enhancement of beat-related activities over the hemisphere contralateral to the tapping, suggesting a top-down effect of movement-related activities on auditory beat processing. Taken together, our results are compatible with the view that rhythmic sensorimotor synchronization is supported by a dynamic coupling of sensory and motor related activities.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience (IONS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Université de Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozaradan
authors.affiliation: Ecole de Technologie Supérieure, Université de Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Younes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zerouali
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Université de Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peretz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience (IONS), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mouraux
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D058256:Brain Waves; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EEG; music cognition; neuronal entrainment; rhythm perception; sensorimotor synchronization; steady-state-evoked potentials